Harold Johnson vs. Eddie Cotton

Harold Johnson 173 lbs beat Eddie Cotton 170 lbs by SD in round 15 of 15

• Date: 1961-08-29
• Location: Sicks' Stadium, Seattle, Washington, USA
• Referee: Jimmy Rondeau 147-145
• Judge: Sam Heller 144-148
• Judge: Norman Kunde 147-145

• Unofficial AP scorecard: 148-143 Johnson
• Unofficial UPI scorecard: 148-145 Johnson
• National Boxing Association Light Heavyweight Title (2nd defense by Johnson)

Notes

• Cotton entered the fight as the No. 4 contender.
• There was a crowd of 4,004 at Seattle's Pacific Coast League baseball park. Receipts were estimated at $32,000.
• UPI reported: "Cotton was in the fight for 10 rounds but began fading in the 11th when a slowly swelling lump closed his left eye. The champion came up with a needed strong finish to make his second successful defense of the title....There were no knockdowns. Both fighters were marked up, with Cotton getting the worst of it."
• It was reported that in his 18 years of boxing, that the $20,000 he made for this fight was Harold Johnson's biggest purse to date.

Post Fight Comments

• "He's one of the smartest boxers I've ever met." - Harold Johnson
• "I'd like to meet him again. It would be another good fight." - Eddie Cotton